Summer inspires some novel pairings as foodies become eager to use up fresh fruits and vegetables before it's too late. One of our favorite, less explored combinations is strawberries and tomatoes. Mixed with the wrong ingredients, the two mixed together can prove disastrous, but with just the right enhancers, the blend of sweet and savory can be the epitome of fresh summer flavor.

Two good places to start if you've never prepared a strawberry-tomato dish, are salsa and dessert sauce. One is a little more tomato-based and the other, more strawberry-based. Both do an excellent job of showcasing how the flavors harmonize (ever wondered what umami tastes like?...). We made variations of strawberry shortcake with the sauce and poured the salsa over pork tacos.